Indra's net

1. Title of the first sutta of the Dīgha Nikāya of the Pāli Canon (See Brahmajāla Sutta).

2. An image used by Fa-tsang to illustrate the Hua-yen ‘teaching of totality’ according to which all phenomena in the universe are interrelated. He compared the universe to a cosmic net strung with jewels such that in each jewel can be seen the reflection of all the others. To illustrate this notion he placed a statue of the Buddha in the centre of eight mirrors located according to the major and minor cardinal points, with two additional ones above and below. When the statue was illuminated by a candle the mirrors reflected the image and each other in an infinite series. This demonstrated the Hua-yen tenet that the nature of the entire universe is contained in each particle.